True Detective is an American crime drama television series that premiered on January 12, 2014, on the HBO network. It was created and written by Nic Pizzolatto. Conceived as an anthology, each season will be engineered as a disparate, self-contained narrative, employing new cast ensembles and following various sets of characters and settings.
True Detective was a candidate for television awards in a variety of categories recognizing its writing, acting, production, and direction. The show received eleven Primetime Emmy nominations heading into the 2014 Emmy season, scooping up five wins, among them being Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Cary Joji Fukunaga. At the 72nd Golden Globe Awards, the show scored three Golden Globe nominations, including Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson and Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film for Michelle Monaghan. Other substantial nominations include four TCA Awards (two wins), three Satellite Awards, and a BAFTA (one win).
McConaughey is the most decorated of the show's actors, with ten nominations. Pizzolatto earned two Writers Guild of America Awards (WGAs) for his work as a writer for the series. To date, True Detective has been nominated for 37 awards and has won 24.
Astra TV Awards The Astra TV Awards, presented annually by the Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA), a non-profit organization of critics, entertainment journalists, content creators, industry influencers, and creatives. True Detective has received seven nominations.
+ Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. 2024 Best Limited Series True Detective: Night Country Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie Jodie Foster Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie Finn Bennett Christopher Eccleston Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie Kali Reis Best Directing in a Limited Series or TV Movie Issa López Best Writing in a Limited Series or TV Movie
BAFTA TV Awards The British Academy Television Awards, presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), recognize distinguished artistic achievement in British television. The branch of awards recognizing technical and production-based work (such as cinematography, editing, and music) are designated as British Academy Television Craft Awards. True Detective has won one award.
British Academy Television Awards + Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. 2015 Best International Programme Nic Pizzolatto, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Scott Stephens, and Steve Golin 2025 Production Team
British Academy Television Craft Awards + Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. 2025 Best Sound: Fiction Howard Bargroff, Stephen Griffiths, Tom Jenkins, Andy Shelley, Mark Timms, and Michele Woods
Black Reel Awards The Black Reel Awards are presented by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) to recognize excellence of African Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the African diaspora, in the global film and television industry.
+ Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. 2024 Outstanding Television Movie or Limited Series True Detective: Night Country Outstanding Supporting Performance in a TV Movie/Limited Series Kali Reis
Critics' Choice Television Awards The Critics' Choice Television Awards is an annual accolade bestowed by the Broadcast Television Journalists Association in recognition of outstanding achievements in television, since 2011. True Detective has received one award from four nominations.
+ Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. 2014 Best Drama Series True Detective Best Actor in a Drama Series Matthew McConaughey 2015 Best Actress in a Movie/Limited Series Rachel McAdams 2019 Best Actor in a Movie/Limited Series Mahershala Ali 2025 Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television Jodie Foster Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television Kali Reis
Directors Guild of America Awards The Directors Guild of America Awards are presented annually to directors to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in American entertainment. Winners are chosen jointly by the Directors Guild of America. True Detective has received two nominations.
+ Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. 2014 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series Cary Joji Fukunaga 2024 Issa López
Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awarded annually by members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for excellence and outstanding achievements in American primetime television. The branch of awards recognizing technical and production-based work (such as cinematography, editing, and music) are designated as Creative Arts Emmy Awards. True Detective has received six awards from forty-one nominations.
Primetime Emmy Awards + Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. 2014 Outstanding Drama Series Nic Pizzolatto, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Scott Stephens, Steve Golin, Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey, Richard Brown, and Carol Cuddy Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Woody Harrelson Matthew McConaughey Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Cary Joji Fukunaga Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Nic Pizzolatto 2019 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Mahershala Ali 2024 Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Issa López, Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda, Jodie Foster, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Chris Mundy, Nic Pizzolatto, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Steve Golin, Richard Brown, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Alan Page Arriaga, Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Cathy Tagnak Rexford, Layla Blackman, and Sam Breckman Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Jodie Foster Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie John Hawkes Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Kali Reis Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Issa López Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Issa López
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards + Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. 2014 Outstanding Art Direction for a Contemporary or Fantasy Series (Single-Camera) Alex DiGerlando, Mara LePere-Schloop, Tim Beach, and Cynthia Slagter Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Alexa L. Fogel, Christine Kromer, and Meagan Lewis Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Adam Arkapaw Outstanding Main Title Design Patrick Clair, Raoul Marks, and Jennifer Sofio Hall Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Felicity Bowring, Wendy Bell, Ann Pala, Kim Perrodin, and Linda Dowds Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) T Bone Burnett Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Affonso Gonçalves 2016 Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or Movie Daniel J. Leahy, Steve Pederson, Geoffrey Patterson, and Ron Bedrosian 2019 Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie Germain McMicking Outstanding Hairstyling for a Limited Series or Movie Brian B. Badie, Andrea Mona Bowman, and Lawrence Cornell Davis Outstanding Main Title Design Patrick Clair, Nic Pizzolatto, Raoul Marks, Woosung Kang, Kyle Moore, and Victor Joy Outstanding Makeup for a Limited Series or Movie (Non-Prosthetic) John Blake, Francisco X. Perez, and Debi Young Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score) T Bone Burnett and Keefus Ciancia Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie Leo Trombetta Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special Mandell Winter, David Esparza, Micah Loken, Bernard Weiser, Ryan Collins, Fernand Bos, Jason Wormer, Eryne Prine, Sarah Monat, and Robin Harlan Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or Movie Tateum Kohut, Greg Orloff, Geoffrey Patterson, and Biff Dawes 2024 Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Francine Maisler, Deborah Schildt, and Alda B. Gudjónsdóttir Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Florian Hoffmeister Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Alex Bovaird, Linda Gardar, Rebekka Jónsdóttir, Tina Ulee, Giulia Moschioni, and Brian Sprouse Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) Peter Swords King, Natalie Abizadeh, Kerry Skelton, Flóra Karítas Buenaño, and Hafdís Pálsdóttir Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup Dave Elsey, Lou Elsey, and Brian Kinney Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics "No Use" Music and Lyrics by John Hawkes Outstanding Music Supervision Susan Jacobs Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Matt Chessé Brenna Rangott Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More) Daniel Taylor, Jo Riddell, and Charlotte Dirickx Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special Martín Hernández, Stephen Griffiths, Tom Jenkins, Michele Woods, Andy Shelley, Jake Fielding, Stuart Bagshaw, Barnaby Smyth, Rebecca Glover, and Ben Smithers Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Howard Bargroff, Mark Timms, Skúli Helgi Sigurgíslason, and Keith Partridge Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode Barney Curnow, Jan Guilfoyle, Eggert "Eddi" Ketilsson, Simon Stanley-Clamp, Manuel Reyes Halaby, Tiago Faria, Panos Theodoropoulos, Cale Pugh, and Tim Zaccheo
Golden Globe Awards Awarded since 1944, the Golden Globe Awards is an annual accolade bestowed by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association honoring outstanding achievements in television and film. True Detective won once and received seven nominations.
+ Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. 2014 Best Miniseries or Television Film True Detective Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Woody Harrelson Matthew McConaughey Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Michelle Monaghan 2024 Best Miniseries or Television Film True Detective: Night Country Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Jodie Foster Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Kali Reis
Producers Guild of America Awards The Producers Guild of America Awards were created in 1990 by the Producers Guild of America to acknowledge the contributions of film and television producers in American entertainment. True Detective has been nominated once.
+ Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. 2014 Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama Richard Brown, Carol Cuddy, Steve Golin, Woody Harrelson, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Matthew McConaughey, Nic Pizzolatto, and Scott Stephens 2019 David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited Series Television Nic Pizzolatto, Scott Stephens, Daniel Sackheim, Peter Feldman, Steve Golin, and Bard Dorros 2024 Issa López, Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda, Jodie Foster, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Chris Mundy, Sam Breckman, Alan Page Arriaga, Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Cathy Tagnak Rexford, and Layla Blackman
Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are the International Press Academy's annual entertainment awards, since 1997. True Detective has been nominated for four awards.
+ Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. 2014 Best Drama Series True Detective Best Actor in a Drama Series Woody Harrelson Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Michelle Monaghan 2024 Best Actress in a Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television Jodie Foster
Screen Actors Guild Awards Presented since 1995, the Screen Actors Guild Awards is an annual accolade honoring excellence and outstanding achievement in television acting. Winners are chosen by members of the Screen Actors Guild. True Detective has been nominated four times.